Pain, Pain Go Away

Pain can really be a pain in the butt! Whether it’s chronic or acute, afflicting your hip or your pinky toe, feels dull and achy or sharp and stabbing, pain is the enemy. It keeps us from doing the things we love to do, prevents us from trying new and enjoyable things, reminds us of our ever-increasing age and worn out bodies and is that nagging reminder that we are, in fact, not invincible. This enemy of ours is most likely caused by inflammation. Inflammation is thought to be the root of many diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Cancer, Bowel disease and can be either the root of arthritis or a reaction to the degenerating joint. Arthritis is one of the most pervasive diseases in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention one out of every three Americans (an estimated 70 million people) is affected. Although some drugs are available to help control the pain, they don't always work, and can have side effects which can make taking them difficult, if not impossible, for some people to use.

If you have been diagnosed with arthritis or are simply suffering from pain or stiffness, Traditional Chinese Medicine may be a viable alternative and welcome relief from your frustrating and perhaps debilitating pain. Using Chinese Medicine we aim to attack the nasty enemy, pain and inflammation, with an arsenal of unique and effective weapons; Acupuncture, Herbs, and Diet. Acupuncture has been found to be extremely effective at treating the pain and inflammation associated with all types of arthritis. Acupuncture treats inflammation by both increasing blood flow to the affected area, encouraging the healing process and by releasing chemicals, called endorphins, which are produced by the brain and function to control the body’s pain. The tiny needles are strategically inserted into meridians or channels that are considered superficial highways which connect the outer portion of the body to the internal organs. When these areas become blocked by the inflammatory process, it impedes the flow of energy and can be manifested in pain, redness, and swelling.

There are various herbal decoctions that can be taken orally to combat pain from inflammation. Ingredients such as Cinnamon twigs, Mulberry twigs, Peony and Angelica can be helpful depending on the specifics of your pain. There are also several herbal ointments, sprays and patches that can be applied topically to the affected area to treat the pain locally.

Some foods such as tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant and bell peppers should be avoided when suffering from pain caused by inflammation. Other allies of inflammation that should be avoided are; alcohol, dairy and sugar. On the other hand, spices such as Tumeric, Garlic, Ginger and Thyme can help to combat the inflammation as well as foods such as salmon, most berries, almonds, avocados, broccoli and cauliflower.

I encourage you to wage your own battle against your pain and inflammation and seek out Traditional Chinese Medical remedies. You can start at home with the below recipes that are both weapons, in disguise, and delicious! Partner with baked or grilled salmon for the ultimate covert operation

... ENJOY!

BRUSSEL SPROUTS & MUSHROOM

1lb brussel sprouts

4 shiitake mushrooms, soaked and sliced

1/2 cup pine nuts (or sunflower seeds)

1 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup water

Steam or cook brussel sprouts using a waterless method until tender.

Cook mushrooms, nuts and seasoning in water until mushrooms are tender.

Arrange brussel sprouts on a dish and pour mushroom mixture over the top.

CAULIFLOWER SOUP

1 large bundle cauliflower

1/4 of a minced onion

6 cups broth

Sea salt to taste

1/2 cup oat flakes or flour

2 tablespoons sesame butter

Separate flowerets and remove as much stem as possible. Chop stem into small pieces.

Bring 4 cups of broth to a boil.

Add stems, onions, oats/flour and salt to broth and simmer 10 minutes until stems are tender.

While stem soup is cooking bring the other 2 cups of broth to a boil. Drop in flowerets and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove them with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add remaining broth and sesame butter to stem soup.

Remove soup from heat and puree it in a blender.

Garnish with flowerets.

Meet our interns:

Yo San Clinic has an exceptional and diverse intern team. With various professional and educational backgrounds, our Traditional Chinese Medicine students bring a variety of experience, knowledge and care. In our monthly newsletter, we will introduce you to our new interns and tell you a little bit about what makes them exceptional healers.

Robert Youngs

Robert started receiving acupuncture over twenty years ago while living in New York City and found it to be very successful for him. He worked in marketing at MTV Networks in New York, studied philosophy and practiced Yoga and Meditation six days a week for many years. After MTV, he went back to school and got an MFA in Acting from Columbia University. He started several theater companies and appeared on stage, TV and film for many years.

Actors and artists live in a world of feeling and passion and during these years, he continued to study and explore the correlation between emotions and health.He found, in Chinese Medicine as in many Eastern philosophies, that the rise of emotions such as anger, resentment, irritation and sadness are often the origin of diseases in the body and when repeated daily, they take root in the weakest area of the body. These diseases can be treated as well as prevented by acupuncture.

Robert leads a very active life including teaching at the Boys and Girls Club of America in Pasadena and being a Dean’s List student at Yo San University.

As a clinic intern Robert works with many patient issues including insomnia, gastrointestinal problems and has a special interest in treating Women’s Health issues including PMS and Menopause.

Corie Tappin

Corie grew up in Brooklyn, New York and attended St. Ann's High School. She was interested in Eastern philosophy, medicine and spirituality at an early age but took a different path after graduating from Brown University, following her interest in sports marketing.

She was active in sports and fitness, a top collegiate squash player, and nationally-ranked in the top 15 for many years.After college, she worked in NYC for CBS/FOX Sports Marketing, helping to launch several popular fitness videos, as well as NBA and NCAA basketball videos.She ended up in Los Angeles working at Fox and then MGM Home Entertainment, working her way up the ladder, eventually becoming Senior Vice-President of Marketing.

In 2002, burned out and tired, she resigned to spend time at home and pursue her interests in the healing arts and sciences in a personal quest to achieve optimum health and wellness.Through Traditional Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture (TCM), yoga, nutrition, personal spiritual cultivation, and a regular meditation practice, Corie was able to fully recover from several sports injuries and bring her body into balance, becoming pregnant with the baby Western doctors told her she wouldn't have.

Corie now lives in Malibu with her husband, two children and several pets.Corie is eager to share her passion for health and wellness with you and will be at the Yo San Clinic until her graduation this April.

To book an appointment with Robert or Corie, call us at (310) 577-3006.

Meet our Doctoral Candidate:

Laraine Crampton L.Ac. has been in private practice of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine in Santa Monica since 1999. Her general practice includes multi-generation families and focuses on preventive care as well as resolving chronic pain and chronic health issues and acute illness and injuries. Laraine is on the faculty of Yo San University, teaching both in the classroom and in the community clinic, and in particular has taught qigong courses at Yo San and for the public for over 15 years. She says, “I’m so glad that Yo San is leading the way in bringing the truest expression of our medicine’s power in preventive care and in longevity medicine, by the Healthy Aging/Longevity doctoral program.”

Once again we rocked!

The Yo San University doctoral program marked another milestone with the publication of an article in a peer reviewed journal authored by a DAOM graduate. The article, Acupuncturist Practice Patterns in the Treatment of Fertility: The Use of the Stener-Victorin and Paulus Study Protocols, by Cindy Splies, and Lawrence Ryan appeared in the Fall 2012 (Volume 61) issue of The American Acupuncturist. Cindy shared authorship with Larry Ryan, YSU President, who served as the Capstone Project Mentor for the research while Cindy was in the DAOM Program. Cindy, a mother of four children commuted from her home in Ventura, California for the DAOM Program weekend residency and clinical sessions. She even found time to participate in the optional China externship as well as the intensive IVF training offered by DAOM Professor, Paul Magarelli, M.D. in Colorado Springs. While in the DAOM Program Cindy was motivated to achieve the highest degree in the TCM profession. She attributes her success and productivity in the DAOM Program to the constant support of her chiropractor husband and children. They are proud of their “Doctor Mom” who is also now published.

Yo San's Doctoral Students are Blazing Paths for Acupuncture Research:

In March of 2012 Yo San graduated its first Doctoral Cohort. Each student submitted a capstone project presenting initial research on a particular women's health issue and the effects of acupuncture and Chinese Herbs. These capstone projects are available here and our newsletters will feature abstracts for you to enjoy.

Unexplained Recurrent Pregnancy Loss and the Psycho-NeuroImmunologic Network:Immuno-modulation with Traditional Chinese Medicine and other CAM Modalities By Carla Vidor, L.Ac

The purpose of this study was to expose the effects of TCM on the immune system and the possible benefits of TCM therapies in the treatment of unexplained recurrent miscarriage, either as part of an integrated treatment plan or on its own. Using research synthesis method, data from 34 articles were compiled regarding the ability of Traditional Chinese Medical (TCM) treatments, (herbal medicine and acupuncture), along with other complementary and alternative modalities, (taiqi, qi gong and yoga), to change immunological profiles in immunologically-related diseases, during a stress-response, and in miscarriage. The data were initially abstracted in an article abstraction form and then analyzed into several tables. The data revealed that herbs, acupuncture, and other CAM therapies do indeed have effects on the immune cells that are implicated in the pro and anti-inflammatory states responsible for disease and miscarriage. However, the effects of herbs, acupuncture, and other CAM therapies did not appear to consistently promote changes in the direction that is thought to favor pregnancy or minimize the risk for pregnancy loss. As this is a preliminary study, the data were discussed in consideration to the limitations of the studies. The lack of randomization and blindedness, partially due to the difficulties of randomizing and blinding samples for ethical reasons, encourage the need for future research with sufficient sampling, with the hopes of finding clinically useful treatments, applicable to the population of couples who struggle with repeated pregnancy losses.